Not an opera fan? Well you should be. Here’s an interesting bit of trivia. Did you know that one of the most famous German operas is all about competitive rifle shooting? Believe it or not, the popular von Weber opera Der Freischütz (“The Marksman”), features shooting matches and precision bullet-making.

The opera’s story should “strike a chord” with our readers. In order to win an important shooting match, the hero, Max, casts seven “Magic Bullets”. He is lured into this occult reloading practice by a fellow shooter with a hidden, not-so-nice agenda. (Sound familiar you guys?) But what our hero Max doesn’t realize is that the devil is at work, and if Max uses the magic bullets at the big match he will forfeit his soul and suffer eternal damnation. Lesson to our readers — don’t try to win matches with Magic Bullets. CLICK HERE for the full story…

The overture and the Jägerchor (“Hunters’ Chorus”) from Act 3 of Der Freischütz are often performed as concert pieces. Listen to a stirring performance of the Jägerchor in the video below. This features full orchestra, mass male choir, and the ‘Jagdhornverein Edelweiss’ horns. You’ll enjoy it…

Der Freischütz (usually translated as “The Marksman” or “The Freeshooter”) is an opera in three acts by Carl Maria von Weber, with libretto by Friedrich Kind. It premiered on 18 June 1821 at the Schauspielhaus, Berlin. It is considered the first important German Romantic opera. The plot is based on the German folk legend of the Freischütz and many of its tunes were inspired by German folk music. Despite its daring innovations, it quickly became an international success, with some 50 performances in the first 18 months after the premiere. Among the many artists influenced by Der Freischütz was a young Richard Wagner.

Jägerchor (Hunters’ Chorus) — full version with procession of ‘Jagdhornverein Edelweiss’ in Maastricht.

Top Der Freischutz illustration from a Gruselkabinette CD (Episode 15) sold byTitania Medien.

Do you shoot a .308 Winchester (and who doesn’t)? Well here’s a great deal on Lapua .308 Win brass, the best you can buy. Ultra-consistent, Lapua brass stays strong for many reloading cycles, even with stout loads. Lapua is the choice of most F-TR competitors who shoot the .308 Win in competition.

The .308 Win Palma version brass (item BL11071) features small primer pockets. Some people believe the small primer pockets help the cases deliver a lower Extreme Spread (ES) and (maybe) withstand high pressures for more loading cycles. YMMV, but we do like the small-primer-pocket .308 Win Lapua brass and it’s our first choice for target applications.

Both types of Lapua .308 Winchester brass are now available at very attractive prices from Bullets.com: $61.95 for large primer pocket brass, $69.95 for small pocket brass. This cartridge brass is in stock today and ready to ship. CLICK HERE to order.

10/1/2014 Update: Sale Inventories of the Small Primer Pocket .308 Win Palma brass are sold out. You can still buy this brass, but the regular price is $79.95 per 100 cases.

Being in such high demand, current-model Nightforce scopes rarely go on sale. But right now, Nightforce is running a 2014 Fall Hunting Promotion with dramatic price reductions. You can save hundreds of dollars on popular SHV and NXS scopes with low to medium magnification levels. For example, the SHV 4-14x56mm, with MOAR reticle and center illumination is marked down from $1,128.00 to $1,016.99. And the savings are even bigger with First Focal Plane NXS models. The NXS 3.5-15x50mm F1 with ZeroStop, 1/4 MOA clicks and NP-RF1 reticle has been marked down from $2,543.00 to $2,160.00 — a $383.00 savings. CLICK HERE to see all discounts.

“All dressed up and nowhere to go” was the comment our IT guy, Jay Christopherson, sent with this photo. This is Jay’s testing set-up at his home range, complete with PVM-21 chronograph and wireless target-cam. The camera signal is sent, via WiFi, to Jay’s laptop computer. However, even with all that high-tech electronic gear, you can’t make the shot if you can’t see the target through the rifle-scope. On this morning, heavy ground fog completely obscured the target. Jay told us: “I ended up waiting a little over an hour for the fog to burn off enough so that I could see the 600-yard target. What was funny was that I had a perfectly clear picture of the target via the target-cam and monitor. But there was no way to aim the rifle since the riflescope showed nothing but fog.”

This photo was taken by Jay at the Cascade Shooting Facility in Ravensdale, WA. The rifle is Jay’s .284 Shehane F-Class rifle. Jay was testing primers for Extreme Spread (ES) variation around 9:00 am. Nature was not cooperating. Jay was running Hodgdon H4831sc and testing various primers to see which provided the best numbers.

The chronograph is the Kurzzheit PVM-21. Equipped with infrared sensors, the PVM-21 is our “go-to” chron for most velocity testing, with an Oehler 35P for “back-up”. The PVM-21 (now updated with Kurzzheit’s BMC-19 model) sets up quickly and gives reliable results in any light conditions. But there is something even more sophisticated on the horizon — the new Labradar, a “stand-off” chronograph that uses Doppler radar to measure bullet speed.

Jay explains: “I am (somewhat) patiently waiting for the new Labradar to release. The PVM-21 works pretty well most of the time and is easy to setup. I do get odd readings out of it every so often, but they are pretty obvious when they occur.” The advantage of the Labradar (if it ever comes to market) is that the unit sits to the left or right of the rifle. The Labradar is situated out of the bullet path, so there is no chance of shooting the chronograph by accident. Another advantage of the Labradar is that you can set it up without needing to go forward of the firing line, which would require a safety break.

As part of the Ohio Day at the Range program, CMP volunteers provided training in Air Rifle shooting and Archery for persons with disabilities. For the participants, some wheel-chair-bound, this was a special event. Though they may not be able to run or jump, they CAN shoot a rifle from a rest. This type of event gives disabled youngsters and adults a chance to enjoy a sport just as able-bodied persons do. We commend the CMP and all those who helped make the Day at the Range a memorable event.

As reported in the BCSN Blade Blog, this program gave participants a chance to learn outdoor skills: “The whole purpose of this is to show that anybody has the ability to hunt, fish, camp — do anything they want to do in the outdoors,” said Tory Thompson, Outreach Director for The Ability Center of Greater Toledo, Ohio. “We want these individuals and their family members to see that the opportunity is there. It will be very gratifying to see that moment when they get to experience something they thought they would never be able to do because of their disability — We hope this opens their eyes and lets everyone see past the stereotypes.”

When you need ammo fast — lots of ammo, it’s hard to beat a progressive reloading press for output. We use progressive presses to load handgun ammo and .223 Rem cartridges for varmint safaris. With good dies, and proper press set-up, today’s progressive presses can produce surprisingly uniform and accurate ammo. No, you won’t see Benchrest Hall-of-Famers loading PPC cartridges on progressives. However, if you need 1000 rounds for your next prairie dog adventure, you should consider getting a progressive. Below you can see a Hornady Lock-N-Load AP configured to load .308 Winchester in bulk.

Proper Brass Prep
Just like a good paint job requires good prep work, great rifle ammo requires good brass prep. In order to make sure your rifle loading goes smoothly, make sure to perform the following brass prep steps:

Smooth and Steady Pace
Since you’re loading rifle ammunition on a progressive, you’re already saving a load of time, so there’s no need to rush things! Attention to detail is super-important for safety and for good results. Always keep an eye on powder level (goes down FAST) and what’s happening at each station.

The Right Press and Press Setup
Look for a heavy-duty, well-built press that will stand up to rifle loading. You’ll also want to make sure your powder measure will have the proper capacity (~25 grains for .223, ~50 grains for 308). If you are bulk reloading, ensure you have enough stations for sizing, charging, powder check, bullet feed, bullet seating, and (optional) bullet crimp.

Smith & Wesson is introducing a new series of ported M&P pistols. Chambered in 9mm and .40 S&W, the Performance Center M&P Ported pistols offer a factory-ported barrel and slide. Both 4.25″ and 5″ barrel configurations are offered in each caliber. A special Performance Center sear provides a crisp 4.5-pound trigger pull with faster reset. The 9mm pistol has a 17+1 round capacity while the .40 S&W variant features a 15+1 round capacity. Both handguns (9mm and 40 S&W) have an MSRP of $812 with two magazines.

The ported design should help competitors, says pistol ace Jerry Miculek: “The two biggest advantages of running a ported gun in competition involve reduced muzzle rise and less perceived recoil. This [will] help with shorter split times and more rounds on target — two things every competitor wants.”

The new ported M&P pistols feature a slide-top platform for easy mounting of red-dot optics. These guns also have high-profile iron sights that can be used in conjunction with the optics. The M&P Performance Center Ported models also feature a textured interchangeable back strap. Three palmswell grips are supplied with each pistol, allowing shooters to custom-tailor grip size to their preference.

Forum Member Roy B. has found a website with scores of well-researched articles about guns and shooting. The Firearms History Blog features a wide variety of posts on myriad subjects, from early black powder firearms to modern match rifles. You’ll find tons of information on gun design, barrel-making, action types, and firearms testing equipment. To access hundreds of articles, click on the Firearm History Blog Archive Menu on the left side. Click the navigation arrows to access monthly collections one by one. Some of the best articles are from 2010, so be sure to check those archives too! Here are some of our favorites:

We are often asked “what’s the difference between the 6×47 Swiss Match, the 6XC, and the 6.5×47 Lapua necked down to 6mm?” All three cartridges have 30° shoulders and fit a .308-sized boltface. However, alone among the three, the 6mm-6.5×47 has a small primer pocket and small flash hole. The 6×47 Swiss Match (made by RUAG), and the 6XC (produced by Norma), have a large primer pocket and large flash hole, just like a .308 Winchester.

Forum member DesertLefty has provided a line-up photo, with 6mmBR and .260 Rem cases provided for comparison. As you can see, the three mid-sized cases (6x47SM, 6.5×47 Lapua, and 6XC) are very similar.

The Swiss Match has the longest neck, while the 6XC enjoys the highest capacity. But performance is very similar among the three cartridges (with the 6.5×47 necked down to 6mm), and the same powders, particularly H4350, IMR 4007SSC, and N160 work well in the 6×47 SM, the 6XC, and the 6-6.5×47 Lapua. Alliant Reloder 17, slightly faster than H4350 but with a flatter (less “peaky”) burn curve, could also prove a good choice for both the 6XC and 6mm-6.5×47.

6XC vs. 6-6.5×47
Often the question is posed “Which is better, the 6XC or 6mm-6.5×47″. The correct answer seems to be “it depends”. Current batches of Norma-made 6XC brass are very good, while certain lots of 6.5×47 Lapua brass have somewhat disappointing neckwall uniformity, demanding neck-turning for best accuracy. Overall, however, the two cases (6mm-6.5×47 and 6XC) are nearly identical in performance. Some shooters believe the Lapua brass holds up better under full-power loads. On the other hand, Norma 6XC brass from DavidTubb.com is a bit less expensive than 6.5×47 brass.

The parent 6.5×47 Lapua case is rated at 63,090 psi, while the new CIP rating for the 6XC is 63,844 psi (4400 BAR). Though the 6mm-6.5×47 has slightly less powder capacity than the 6XC, max velocities with 105-108gr bullets are quite similar. However, you should not substitute loads from the 6XC directly to the 6mm-6.5×47 or vice-versa. Because of the different case capacities and primer sizes, you should work up loads separately for each cartridge.

After the trigger is pulled, it takes around 0.005 seconds before the firing pin reaches the primer.

From the firing of the primer it takes 0.0015-0.002 seconds until the bullet exits the muzzle.

When the bullet leaves the muzzle, the hot gases surround and overtake the bullet, continuing the acceleration for a few centimeters.

Because the barrel is always angled slightly upwards, the bullet’s flight starts about 3-5 cm below the line of sight.

Norma also offers some good advice about Powder and Cartridge Storage:

To maintain the product quality for as long as possible, you have to keep the powder in a suitable place under suitable conditions. Where possible, store the powder at a constant temperature, ideally between 12 and 15°C (54°F to 59°F), and a relative humidity of 40–50%. If the air is too dry, it will dry out the powder, which will cause the pressure to be higher, thus affecting performance. Also make sure that you close the powder container properly afterwards. Cartridges should be stored under the same ambient conditions to maintain their quality.

So, you want to put five shots through one hole at 100 yards? That may be asking a bit much, but with the right rifle, the right technique, and the right load, you might just be able to shoot “in the ones” (i.e. a group measuring 0.1 to 0.199 MOA). You could consume a lot of time and money trying to achieve this level of precision. Or you could learn from “the man”, Tony Boyer, unquestionably the most successful shooter in the history of short-range benchrest competition.

You can literally “go inside Boyer’s brain” by reading his 323-page treatise, The Book of Rifle Accuracy. First published in 2010, this is a beautiful book, full of color photos from cover to cover. Every serious benchrest shooter should read Tony’s book. He has dominated registered benchrest in a fashion that will never be duplicated. Tony Boyer has 164 U.S. Benchrest Hall of Fame points. The next closest shooter, Lester Bruno, has 48 Hall of Fame points. (Totals current 9/21/13).

The full-color book is 323 pages long, with color photos or color illustrations on nearly every page. The hard-cover edition costs $42.50, while the soft cover version is $34.50. Purchase from Amazon.com, or you can buy directly the publisher by visiting www.RifleAccuracyBook.com. The Boyer books are also available from Bruno Shooters Supply, 1-800-455-0350.

Paperback Edition

Hard-Back Edition

The Book Of Rifle Accuracy, By Tony Boyer

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Here’s a humorous illustration that pokes fun at golf. We posted this on Facebook recently. To our surprise this generated 356 shares, and reached 22,000+ readers, making this the most popular AccurateShooter Facebook post ever. “Golf — the willful misuse of a perfectly good rifle range.”

So, what do you think — should golf courses be converted to shooting ranges? Is golf truly a “good [shoot] spoiled”? This photo was shared by our shooting buddy Jim de Kort from Holland.

“How do silencers work?” We hear that question often. Now, thanks to Silencerco.com, we can answer that question. Here’s a helpful infographic that illustrates the features of a suppressor (aka “silencer”, “can”, or “sound moderator”). Silencers reduce gunshot noise by providing a contained space where hot gases can dissipate and cool before exiting. Silencers are typically divided into multiple, internal expansion chambers. A quality suppressor can reduce gunshot noise by 30 decibels (db) or more. See the chart for comparative firearm noise levels (suppressed vs. un-suppressed).

In the United States, suppressors have become much more popular in recent years. In fact, the number of licensed silencers has doubled since 2011. Over 571,750 suppressors are now lawfully registered in the USA. Firearm sound moderators can now be purchased legally in 39 states, provided one obtains the requisite Federal tax stamp. (Texas is the leading suppressor state.) Seven European countries also allow suppressor ownership.

Suppressors Featured in Modern Shooter
Legal for private ownership in 39 states, suppressors are more popular than ever (though many gun owners are still not aware that silencers can be acquired without much difficulty). The Fall 2014 issue of Modern Shooter focuses on the popularity of today’s suppressors and sound-moderating technology available for handguns, rifles, and shotguns. This entire issue is dedicated to suppressors and their benefits. This comprehensive guide explains how suppressors work and how gun owners can easily (and lawfully) purchase them. The issue includes a detailed history of the suppressor, which was first patented in 1909 by the son of the inventor of the machine gun. There is also a feature story on hunting with suppressors in Europe. Modern Shooter is available on newsstands and as a digital download at GunDigestStore.com.

If you’re one of those folks who doesn’t wear eye protection, you need to check out the LuckyGunner Labs Eye Protection Test. For those who DO wear safety glasses — don’t assume that everything is OK. Just because you purchased name-brand “safety glasses” doesn’t mean that you are getting truly effective protection. In fact, many forms of protective eyewear sold today are flimsy, or poorly made. Consequently, they won’t stop even low-energy, slow-velocity fragments.

Two years ago, LuckyGunner Labs conducted very extensive field tests of 28 types of eyewear, ranging in price from $7 to $220. Remarkably, some of the most expensive safety eyewear performed no better than $10 items. Many of the products failed shockingly — with the lenses coming right out of the frames when hit with pellets. LuckyGunner recorded these kind of failures even with ANSI Z87-“approved” eyewear. The reason is that the Z87 test is not tough enough: “The basic ANSI standard is referred to as Z87, and you’ll see this marked in a number of locations on most eye protection marketed to shooters. However, the Z87 impact standard involves a .25″ steel ball traveling at 150 fps — this is fine for protecting eyes from debris that might fall or be thrown, but is not extremely relevant to shooters, who are dealing with objects traveling at much higher velocities.”

Standard

Impact speed

Caliber/Size

ANSI Z87.1-2003
High Velocity

150 feet/second
45 meters/second

0.25″ diameter steel ball
(25 caliber)

Mil-PRF-31013
Vo ballistic test

640-660 feet/second
195 meters/second

0.15 inch diameter steel projectile (15 caliber)

The testers recommend you select eyewear that meets military specification (above and beyond ANSI Z87). The MIL-PRF-31013 Standard covers projectiles up to 650 feet per second. This is much more stringent. Additionally, you want to replace often-used protective eyewear every year or so. Long-term exposure to UV radiation can weaken polycarbonate and lessen its ability to withstand impacts.

SUMMARY — What to Look for in Protective Eyewear

eyepromain2.mp4

THE GOOD — Eyewear Protects Against Direct Hit with .22 Short Bullet
APEL Revision Sawfly eyewear was shot with a .22 Short, pushing a 29 grain bullet at 710 fps. That’s not powerful by modern firearm standards, but this might be fairly representative of a ricochet bullet fragment. The Sawfly lens stopped this 29gr bullet with minimal damage to the cheek area.

sawfly22hs.mp4

THE BAD — Remington Eyewear Lenses Separate. Right Lens Enters Eye Socket
The most gruesome example was the cheap Remington eyewear which shed both lenses back towards the eyes, one of which embedded itself into the eye socket. The real-world implications of this action are disturbing to say the least.

embedface.mp4

THE UGLY — Prescription Glasses Failed Miserably
Many ranges don’t see any need for protective eyewear beyond prescription glasses. However, most prescription lenses offer little if any protection. If the prescription lenses are glass, this can create more problems. As shown below, these prescription glasses offered no ballistic protection, and, in fact, proved more dangerous to the eyes due to the flying glass shards.

Summary and Conclusions:
For faster-moving projectiles such as ricochet fragments, you need high quality, tested eye protection. LuckyGunner recommends eyewear with a single (one-piece) lens for any activity where your face might be struck by small, fast-moving objects. Individual lenses detach from the frames once a certain level of force is reached, and they are driven back into the eye sockets, where considerable damage may be done. There are good examples of protective eyewear with two separate lenses, but a broad, one-piece lens distributes force much better.

A wide, comfortable, and preferably soft rubber nosepiece is critical. Along with good “arms”, this will serve to keep the eye protection in place and will also reduce the chances of the lens being driven down or back into the face with enough force to damage the orbital bones.

A frame that connects across the top of the lens, not individual arms which attach to the outside corners of the lens, is recommended. This will reduce the chances of the lens detaching from the frame under impact (it’s still possible, just less likely). Some types of eye protection actually use the frame to absorb impact and distribute force.

NOTE: Andrew, the author of the LuckyGunner Eyewear report, was a former Navy Corpsman. Accordingly, he is familiar with health and safety matters.

Over the past three decades, a quiet revolution has been taking place across the country. We’re talking about the expansion of “right-to-carry” or “shall issue” laws allowing citizens to carry concealed firearms. If you look at the animated map below, you’ll see that the vast majority of states now allow citizens to obtain carry permits on a “shall-issue” basis. That typically means than a citizen can obtain a carry permit after fulfilling basic requirements, such as a background check, safety class, and finger-printing.

As recently as the mid-1990s, most states disallowed carry permits, or allowed such permits only at the discretion of local law enforcement officials. Over the past 30 years states have migrated to less restrictive alternatives. The map below shows how most states have gone from “No-Issue” (Red) or “May-Issue” (Yellow) status to “Shall Issue” (Blue).

Opponents of right-to-carry legislation argued that the passage of “shall issue” laws would increase gun violence. In fact, the opposite occurred. The level of violent gun crime has declined in recent decades. A study by the Bureau of Justice Statistics (BJS) showed a 39% decline in gun murders from 1993 to 2011 plus a 69% drop in non-fatal gun crimes during that period.

All 50 states have now passed laws allowing citizens to carry certain concealed firearms in public, either without a permit or after obtaining a “shall-issue” or “may-issue” permit from local law enforcement. Illinois had been the last state without such a provision — but its long-standing ban on concealed weapons was overturned in a federal appeals court, on Constitutional grounds. Illinois was required by the court to draft a concealed carry law by July 9, 2013 at which time the Illinois legislature, over-riding the amendatory veto of the governor who had sought to impose many restrictions, approved concealed carry to begin January 2014, at the latest.

The shooting sports are thriving in the USA. Target shooting participation levels have increased 19% over a recent 4-year period, from 34.4 million shooters in 2009 to 40.8 million in 2012. That means 6.4 million more Americans are shooting. By contrast, golf and some other hobby activities have seen their participant base decline by millions. Despite pressures to close shooting ranges and the high cost of ammunition and reloading components, more people than ever before are enjoying target shooting. The increase in target shooting has been driven by an influx of new shooters.

Demographic Changes in Ranks of Target Shooters
Compared to those who took up shooting 20 or 30 years ago, these new shooters represent a generational change. Newcomers — defined as those who have taken up target shooting in the last five years — are trending younger and female. Also, more new shooters are city and suburban dwellers (compared to older shooters who typically live in rural areas). In these ways, the demographic profile of new shooters is different than that of established participants.

Although they may be different in age, gender, and geo-location, newcomers share one important thing with established participants — their passion for firearms ownership and the shooting sports. The traditional pastimes of handgun, rifle and shotgun target shooting continue to have a broad appeal to new generations of Americans.

The 2014 IBS 600-Yard Benchrest Nationals will take place this upcoming weekend in Memphis, Tennessee at the Memphis Sport Shooting Assn. (MSSA) Range. The match runs Friday, September 26th through Saturday, September 27th. Set-up and practice sessions will be held on Wednesday and Thursday. The for-record matches will commence with the Light Gun division at 8:05 am on Friday. Heavy Gun matches will be held on Saturday.

IMPORTANT — You can still join in the fun. It’s not too late to register for this event. You can register at the range up to 6:00 pm on Thursday, September 25th. Mike Moses is the Match director. The MSSA Range is located about 25 miles northeast of Memphis, TN. Click here for directions and hotel links.

Registration and Fees
The current Match Registration fee is $200. (This includes lunch for both days). Registration deadline is 6:00 pm, Thursday, September 25th.

If you will register on site, fees may be paid to Mike Moses (Match Director). The organizers say: “If a competitor is delayed en route and is not pre-registered, please let us know as early as possible! We’ll make every effort to allow a late entry.”

National Hunting and Fishing Day (NHF Day) takes place on Saturday, September 27, 2014. The annual celebration serves as a reminder that conservation succeeds because of leadership and funding from hunters, shooters and anglers. National, regional, state and local organizations will run thousands of “open house” hunting- and fishing-related events around the country. Events will include Fishing Derbys, Hunting Expos, Wing-shooting tournaments, and much more. Over four million Americans will participate. For information on NHF Day, visit www.nhfday.org. To find NHF Day events, click the link below.

If you’re looking for loaded ammunition at affordable prices, WikiArms.com can help you find a good deal. WikiArms constantly searches the listings of ammo vendors across the web. Then WikiArms ranks the offerings by cost per round, low to high. This way you can instantly compare prices from multiple vendors including Ammoland, Brownells, Cabelas, Lucky Gunner, MidwayUSA, Natchez, Sinclair Int’l, Slickguns, Sportsmans Guide, and Wideners. Search bots refresh pricing constantly so listed prices are normally current within five minutes. WikiArms even displays the amount of product currently in stock for each vendor.

Using WikiArms is easy. Just click your choice of caliber (such as 9mm, .22LR, or .308 Win) on the navigation bar, or hit the Good Deals link to see a variety of cartridge types all at one time. WikiArms is fast, and it is FREE to use. Check it out.

One of our Forum Members has a .308 Win load that dips into the transonic speed range at 1000 yards. He is concerned that his bullets may lose accuracy as they slow to transonic speeds: “My target is at 1000 yards. How important to accuracy is it to keep the bullet supersonic (Mach 1.2) all the way to the target? How does slowing to transonic speeds in the last 100 yards or so affect accuracy?”

TargetShooter Magazine and AccurateShooter.com contributor Laurie Holland offers some practical answers to this important question, based on his his experience with .223 and .308-caliber bullets.

Thoughts on Accuracy and Transonic Bullet Speeds by Laurie Davidson.
There is no simple answer to the question “How do transonic speeds affect accuracy”. Some bullets manage OK, some not so well, some fail entirely, and I’ve never seen a guide as to which models do and which don’t. But we do have the ‘boat-tail angle rule’, anyway. Bryan Litz says the ideal boat-tail angle is 7-9°. Go much above 10° and it’s too steep for the air to follow the bullet sides around to the base. This seems to manifest itself as much increased drag and turbulence leading to instability in transonic flight.

It is this effect that has led to the common advice of “Don’t use 168gr 30-caliber bullets at 1000 yards”. That is misleading advice as it resulted from use of the 168gr Sierra ‘International’ (aka MatchKing) bullet with its 13-deg BT angle. (This was, originally, a specialized 300m design — there are various near copies on the market from Speer, Hornady and Nosler.) By contrast, Berger 168-grainers are designed as long-range bullets with 8.9, 8.5 and a really nice 7° angle on the BT, VLD and Hybrid respectively. Hornady A-Max 30-cal projectiles (other than the 208-grainer) fall into this enforced shorter-range bracket too thanks to their 12.6° (and greater) boat-tail angles. (155gr = 13.5°, 168gr = 12.87°, and 178gr = 12.6°.)

Even this boat-tail angle ‘rule’ doesn’t always seem to apply. Many older long-range Service Rifle shooters talk about good results at 1000 yards with some batches of 7.62mm match ammo in their 20″-barreled M14s using the 168gn SMK. I’ve successfully used Hornady and Sierra 168s at 1000 yards in 30-cal magnums which drive the bullets fast enough to keep out of trouble at this distance. This is still not recommended of course thanks to their low BCs compared to better long-range speciality bullets.

These four photos show the substantial changes in the shock ware and turbulence patterns for the same bullet at different velocities. The “M” stands for Mach and the numerical value represents the velocity of the bullet relative to the speed of sound at the time of the shot. Photos by Beat Kneubuehl.

Transonic Issues with .223 Rem in F-TR
I was much exercised by [concerns about transonic instability] in the early days of F-Class, when I was shooting a .223 Rem with 80-grainers at 2,800 fps MV or even a bit less. Even the optimistic G1 ballistic charts of the time said they’d be subsonic at 1000 yards. (Bryan Litz’s Point Mass Ballistic Solver 2.0’s program says 1,078 fps at 1000 yards at 2,800 fps MV in standard conditions for the SMK; below 1.2 MACH beyond a point somewhere around 780 yards.) In fact they shot fine in a large range of conditions apart from needing around 60% more windage allowance than 6.5mm projectiles [shot with a larger cartridge]. The biggest problem apart from my wind-reading skills was constantly getting out of the rhythm to call to have the target pulled as the pits crew didn’t hear the subsonic bullets and had trouble seeing their little holes.

In the early days of F-TR I used a 24″ barrel factory tactical rifle that was billed as F-TR ready — it wasn’t! The much touted 175gr Sierra MatchKing, as used in the US military M118LR sniper round, was allegedly good at 1000 yards at .308 velocities — but it wasn’t! It would group OK in [some calm] conditions, but any significant change would cause a much greater deflection on the target than the ballistic charts predicted, so transonic flight was obviously making it barely stable. I also suspect conditions on the day had a big effect as Litz’s program says [the 175gr SMK] is just subsonic at 2,650 fps MV at 1,000 in standard conditions. Throw in MV spread and there was a risk of some round remaining supersonic, while others went transonic. Plus warmer or colder air moving onto the range under some conditions might change things.

I used the combination on Scotland’s notorious Blair Atholl range at 1000 yards in one competition in a day of cold headwinds from the north and frequent rain squalls. The temperatures plummeted during the squalls (and the wind went mad too!) and what was an ‘interesting group pattern’ outside of squall conditions changed to seeing me do well to just stay on the target frame at all. On ranges other than Blair (which is electronic, so no pits crew), target markers reported they heard faint supersonic ‘crack’ and saw round holes on the paper, so the bullets appeared to remain stable and just supersonic in summer shooting conditions.

Transonic Problems with M118LR 7.62×51 Ammo
Confirmation of this transonic performance phenomenon has since come from USMC snipers who say the M118LR’s performance ‘falls off a cliff’ beyond 800m (875 yards), which is just what I found when shooting the bullet at slightly higher than M118LR muzzle velocities. A move to the 190gr SMK with Vihtavuori N550 keeping the MVs reasonable gave a vast improvement in 1000-yard performance.

Practical Advice — Use a Bullet That Stays Supersonic
The ‘easy’ / better answer to all this is to use a design such as the 30-caliber, 185gr Berger LRBT with a reputation for good long range performance and to load it to achieve or exceed 1,350 fps at 1000 yards. If I can get the combination I’m using to be predicted to hold 1,400 fps at this range in a G7-based program calculation, I’m happier still.

Incidentally, the old long-range, 30-cal Sierra bullets (the venerable 190gr, 200gr, and 220gr MatchKings), with their extra length boat-tail sections, have a superb reputation for stable transonic / subsonic flight. They were used by GB and British Commonwealth ‘Match Rifle’ shooters at 1000, 1100, and 1200 yards for many years before the current bunch of 210gr and up VLDs and Hybrids appeared.

Transonic vs. Supersonic

The term “Transonic” refers to velocities in the range of Mach 0.8 to 1.0, i.e. 600–768 mph. It is formally defined as the range of speeds between the critical Mach number, when some parts of the airflow are supersonic, and a higher speed, typically near Mach 1.2, when the vast majority of the airflow is supersonic. Instability can occur at transonic speeds. Shock waves move through the air at the speed of sound. When an aircraft goes transonic and approaches the speed of sound, these shock waves build up in front of it to form a single, very large shock wave. This is dramatically illustrated in this Space Shuttle photo.